Machine for the manufacture of wire binders

ABSTRACT

A machine for making zigzag wire binders for notebooks and the like. A rotating disk with projections bends the wire and causes the ends to ride up an internal thread. A coacting wheel with intermittent slots further bends the wire halfway between the first bends to form the zigzag. The latter passes under a top die and between side dies to form a partially curved zigzag binder for entry in the holes of the notebook sheets.

United States Patent lnventor Ernst Piaffle Neufien-Wuerttemberg, Germany Appl. No. 889,085 Filed Dec. 30, 1969 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 Assignee Hans Sickinger Co.

Pontiac, Mich.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF'WIRE BINDERS 12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. C1 140/71 R, 72/134, 72/137, 140/105 Int. Cl B211 3/04, 82 l f 45/ 16 Field of Search 140/71, 80,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,190,722 2/1940 Martin 140/71 2,868,236 1/1959 Smith 140/71 3,003,525 10/1961 Fuller 140/71 Primary ExaminerLowell A. Larson Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: A machine for making zigzag wire binders for notebooks and the like. A rotating disk with projections bends the wire and causes the ends to ride up an internal thread. A coacting wheel with intermittent slots further bends the wire halfway between the first bends to form the zigzag. The latter passes under a top die and between side dies to form a partially curved zigzag binder for entry in the holes of the notebook sheets.

PATENTEUuuv so as?! SHEET 2 BF 5 PATENTEDHUY 30 97i 3,623,514

sum 3 [1F 5 PATENTEDHUV 30 l9i| SHEET 5 OF 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to zigzag wire binders used to hold together notebooks and similar books. Such binders have curved transverse portions connected at one end by wide band portions and at the other by narrow band portions. After the binder is partially formed, the narrow band portions are inserted in the notebook holes while one of the covers is folded back. The binder is then bent into its fully closed position.

The present machine is concerned with that portion of the operation which fonns a partially circular binder from the straight wire and cuts the binder to the proper length.

2. Description of the Prior Art A machine for forming wires to be used as zigzag binders is shown in Brook et al. US. Pat. No. 3,064,694 entitled Wire Forming Machine." However, in this prior machine the apparatus needed for creating the zigzag shape is quite complicated and involves a number of dies which must be finely machined. Moreover, the resulting zigzag wire is flat and another machine must be provided to curve the binder so that it may be inserted in the book and subsequently closed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, a rotating disk with two radial projections on one surface thereof is disposed within a threaded aperture in a block and is so rotated as to fold the straight wire into lengths as the ends of the wire are fed upwardly through the threaded aperture. The thickness of the outer ends of the projection is such that said wide band portions are formed as the wire wraps itself around them. At the same time, an intermittently rotated wheel above the disk holds each length as it is being discharged from the end of the threaded aperture in such manner as to form the narrow band. The resulting flat zigzag wire is fed by two pairs of reciprocating fingers onto a mandrel where it is bent first by a top die and then by side dies so that it forms a partially curved binder. This binder is fed oi? the mandrel and is automatically cut to proper length by a blade-actuating means which is synchronized with the other parts. The resulting curved binder can be easily slipped into the holes of the notebook and closed by a simple operation. A minimum of accurately finished parts is required to achieve this result, and the mechanism is capable of high speeds and rapid production. The length of the binders is also easily adjusted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front portion of the machine showing the wire-straightening means and the bending wheel, as well as other portions of the device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the finished binder as it comes from the machine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back of the machine showing the means for driving various parts.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the threaded aperture in the block and the rotating disk, the plate above the block and the wheel being removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but with the cover plate for the disk and the bending wheel in place.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the apertured block, the wheel, and the disk.

FIG. 7 is a plan cross-sectional view taken along the line 7- 7 of FIG. 6 and showing the disk with its projections in a transverse position.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of that portion of the machine having the reciprocable fingers as well as one of the side dies.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view from the exit end of the machine showing the mandrel and dies we well as the advancing gear and cutting mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The machine is generally indicated at 11 in FIG. I and is for the purpose of making lengths of zigzag wire, a portion of one such wire being generally indicated at 12 in FIG. 2. This wire is used to bind notebooks or other books of this type having holes along one edge. As manufactured by machine 11, zigzag binder 12 comprises a series of transverse portions 13 connected at one end by relatively wire bands 14 and at the other end by relatively narrow bands 15. The length of each binder is the same as the length of the book to be bound. The narrow bands 15 of the binder are passed through perforations in the edges of the book while one cover is folded back. The binder is then closed by pressing the curved ends 16 and 17 of transverse portions 13 toward each other, thus rounding out the central indentations 18 in these transverse portions and creating a circular binder in which narrow bands 15 are disposed between wide bands 14.

Machine 11 comprises a stand 19 on which is mounted a frame 21 supporting most of the machine components. An L- shaped arm 22 secured to stand 19 carries a guide wheel (not shown) over which a wire 23 rides from a supply coil (also not shown) through drag plates 24 and 25 and straightening wheels 26 and 27 supported by a bracket 28 secured to frame 21. The wire enters a slot 29 (FIG. 4) in a rectangular block 31 mounted on frame 21. This block has a threaded aperture 32 with a diameter twice that of a transverse binder portion 13 when such binder portion is in its flattened condition. Slot 29 opens into the lower end of aperture 32, and at the start of the operation one end 33 of the wire is hooked around a projection 34 on one surface of a disk 35 which rotates below aperture 32. Projection 34 extends radially to one side of disk 35, and a similar projection 36 extends radially in the opposite direction. The outer ends of these projections are closely adjacent threaded aperture 32 so that rotation of disk 35 in a clockwise direction in FIG. 4 will cause wire 23 to be bent into lengths equal to the disk diameter, and to ride upwardly in thread 32 which is a left-hand thread. Slot 29 opens into the left-hand side of aperture 32 as seen in FIG. 4, and the uppermost thread opens onto the top surface of block 31 on the lefthand side by means of a ramp 37.

The width of the outer ends of projections 34 and 36 is equal to the desired width of wide band 14 of the binder so that these projections will form the wide bands. The narrow bands 15 on the binder are formed by an intermittently rotating wheel 38 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which has a plurality of projecting notched teeth 39. This wheel is mounted on a shaft 41 which is rotatably mounted above a plate 42 secured to the top of block 31 (FIG. 5). Shaft 41 is supported by bearing blocks 43 and 44, block 43 being mounted on frame 2] and block 44 on block 31. The lower portion of wheel 38 passes through a slot 45 in plate 42 immediately above the center of disk 35. Each time projections 34 and 36 reach their transverse position (horizontal in FIG. 4), one of the notched teeth 39 in wheel 38 embraces the central portion of the uppermost length of wire on the rearward sides of the projections. This length is indicated at 46 in FIGS. 4 and 7. Continued clockwise rotation of disk 35 in FIGS. 4 and 7 will therefore cause the left-hand projection to withdraw from the left-hand portion of length 46 as it exits on ramp 37. Wire length 46 to be bent in half, with the bend forming the narrow band 15 seen in FIG. 2. When disk 35 is rotated the bent portion of wire length 46 will be on the forward side of its projection 34 or 36 (the right-hand side as seen in FIG. 7). At this point, wheel 38 will rotate counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 6 to release narrow band 15, while at the same time a wide band 14 will pass out along ramp 37. A space is formed between the facing surfaces of block 31 and plate 42 so that the zigzag wire will pass out between a pair of guides 47 and 48 mounted on block 31. A portion of the zigzag wire is seen in FIG. 4 as it enters these guides.

The width of slot 29 is sufficient to permit wire 23 to slide back and forth as successive projections 34 and 36 engage the wire to cause it to enter threads 32.

Two pairs of advancing fingers are mounted above guides 47 and 48. These are seen best in FIG. 8, in which one of the two rearward guide fingers 49 is seen along with one of the forward guide fingers 51. These guide fingers are pivotally mounted on rocking arms 52 and 53, the latter being carried by a shaft 54 (FIGS. 1 and 9) which is supported by hearing posts 55 and 56 on frame 21. An arm 57 secured to shaft 54 is connected to one end of a spring 58 the other end: of which is secured to frame 21 as seen in FIG. 1. Spring 58 tends to advance fingers 49 and 51. Fingers 51 carry weights 59 and rest on fingers 49 so that both sets of fingers are urged downwardly into the spaces of zigzag wire 13. The spacing between the forward and rear set of fingers is such that the wire will be held at its proper relationship for a top die 61 (FIG. 9) which pushes the sides of the wire binder downwardly and a pair of side dies 62 and 63 which push the sides of the binder inwardly to form the shape shown in FIG. 2. These dies operate against a mandrel 64 which has a central depression 65 complementary to the shape of top die 61, as seen in FIG. 9. Dies 61, 62, and 63 will reciprocate in synchronism with the advancing movement of the wire created by fingers 49 and 51. An advancing gear 66 is secured to a shaft 67 above the exit end of mandrel 64 and meshes with the binder 12 leaving the mandrel to discharge it therefrom. In FIG. 9, gear 66 is shown out of position so that the other parts may be seen.

A cutting blade 68 is rockably mounted on the end of frame 21 adjacent gear 66 and when pushed to the left by a block 69 will cut off the proper length of binder 12. Member 69 is secured to an arm 70 which is pivotally connected at 71 to an arm 72 secured to one end of a continuously rocking shaft 73. This rocking will cause arm 70 to continuously reciprocate to the left and right. However, arm 70 is usually held high enough so that block 69 will not engage blade 68 as arm 70 reciprocates. The means for holding arm 70 in its raised position comprises a wheel 74 carried by a bellcrank 75, the other end of this bellcrank being actuated by a cam 76 (FIG. 1). The rotation of this cam is so timed that it will rock bellcrank 75 after a sufficient length of binder has been discharged, so that upon the next stroke of arm 70 (which has been lowered by the rocking of bellcrank 75) blade 68 will be actuated against the urging of its restraining spring 77 (FIG. 9) to cut off a length of binder. A chute 78 will guide the cut binder length 12 to a discharge area.

The means for actuating the above-described components is seen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 9. An electric motor (not shown) mounted on stand 19 drives a belt 79 (FIG. 1) which rotates a wheel 81 mounted on a main shaft 82 carried by frame 21. Disk 35 is driven from shaft 82 through a pinion 83 on the shaft, a gear 84 on a parallel shaft 85 (FIG. 3) and a pair of bevel gears 86 and 87, the latter being on a vertical shaft 88 connected to the disk.

Wheel 38 is driven from shaft 85 through a geneva stop mechanism 89, 91 and gears 92 and 93, the latter being on shaft 41 which supports the wheel.

The reciprocation of arms 52 and 53 which carry the advancing fingers 49 and 51 is accomplished by a cam (not shown) on shaft 85 which actuates a pivoted arm 94 (FIG. 1), the latter operating a link 95 connected to an arm 96 on shaft 54. Raising of link 95 will cause retraction of fingers 49 and 51, spring 58 being tensioned, so that the release of arm 94 will permit this spring to advance the fingers.

As the fingers are retracted, they are raised to be clear of the wire binder, and as they are advanced they are lowered. The means for doing this comprises a cam 97 (FIG. 3) on shaft 85 which operates a bellcrank 98 (FIG. 9) pivoted to one side of block 31. Arm 98 is mounted under a roller 99 secured to one of the rearward fingers 49. The two rearward fingers are connected by a bar 101 (FIG. so that they will lift in unison. As mentioned above, the rearward fingers 49 are under the forward fingers 51 so that lifting of the rearward fingers will cause the forward fingers to be lifted as well.

The upper end of die 61 is secured at 102 between a pair of L-shaped arms 103 and 104 (FIG. 9). The vertical portions of these arms are rockably supported by a shaft 105 (FIG. 3) extending between a pair of blocks 106 and 107 carried by frame 21. Arms 103 and 104 extend across the top of the machine, and the outer ends are resiliently connected by a spring 108 and a rod 109 (FIG. 1) to an arm (not shown) extending from a shaft 111 mounted on frame 21. This shaft is rocked by a link 112 eccentrically connected at one end to shaft 85 and connected at its other end to an arm 113 on shaft 111. The arrangement is such that die 61 will descend immediately after a new portion of the binder has been placed therebeneath by fingers 49 and 51, and immediately before side dies 62 and 63 approach mandrel 64.

The outer ends of dies 62 and 63 are pivoted at 114 and 115 respectively (FIG. 9) to bellcranks 116 and 117 which are mounted on frame 21. The lower ends of these bellcranks are actuated by a pair of cranks 1 l8 and 119 pivotally mounted at the outer ends of a pair of arms (not shown) on the same shaft 121 which carries arm 94. Although arm 94 is independently rockable on shaft 121, the arms which support links 118 and l 19 are secured to this shaft, as is a cam follower (not shown) which engages a cam (also not shown) on shaft 85. Thus, rotation of shaft 85 will cause reciprocation of dies 62 and 63 in synchronism with the other parts. These dies are resiliently held in their proper position by a pair of springs 122 and 123, as seen in FIG. 9.

Shaft 67 for advancing gear 66 is driven by a sprocket chain 124 connecting a sprocket 125 on shaft 41 (FIG. 3) with a sprocket 126 on shaft 67. The latter shaft also carries a gear 127 which is connected with a gear 128 on the shaft 129 for cutter blade control cam 76 by an idler gear 131 (FIGv 9). Thus, the length of the binder may be controlled by changing the gear ratios, thus altering the rotational speed of cam 76.

The operation of machine 11 will be apparent from the foregoing description. Wire 23 fed into the machine will be formed by disk 31 and wheel 38 into the flat zigzag shape shown in FIG. 4. Fingers 49 and 51 will advance this wire into position to be acted on by dies 61, 62, and 63. The wire, then formed as shown in FIG. 2, will be advanced by gear 66 toward cutter blade 68 which will cut the binders to the proper length.

I claim:

1. In a machine for forming a zigzag wire binder, a block having a threaded aperture, a disk rotating in said aperture and having a pair of spaced radial projections on one side thereof the outer ends of which are adjacent said threaded aperture, whereby a wire secured to one of said projections will be folded into lengths and threaded along said aperture, exiting at one end thereof, and an intermittently rotating wheel having spaced slotted teeth above the center of said rotating disk and engaging the central portion of each length as one end of said length exits from said threaded aperture, whereby the length will be doubled to form a zigzag wire.

- 2. The combination according to claim 1, the outer ends of said projections forming relatively wide bands in said zigzag wire, said toothed wheel forming relatively narrow bands in said wire.

3. The combination according to claim 2, further provided with a pair of guides receiving said zigzag wire, and forward and rear pairs of reciprocating fingers mounted adjacent said guides and pushing said zigzag wire with a predetermined spacing.

4. The combination according to claim 3, further provided with means for simultaneously lifting and retracting said reciprocating fingers and then dropping said fingers into engagement with said wire as they are advanced.

5. The combination according to claim 4, further provided with a mandrel having a curved cross section with a recessed center, said mandrel being disposed in alignment with said guides, a top die having a shape complementary to said mandrel, a pair of side dies, and means for reciprocating said dies in synchronism so that said upper die bends the successive wire loops partially around said mandrel and said side dies then engage the loops to conform to the side portions of said mandrel.

6. The combination according to claim 5, further provided with a cutting blade at the exit end of said mandrel, normally inactive reciprocating means for actuating said cutting blade, and means responsive to the emergence of a predetermined length of curved zigzag wire to activate said cutter blade actuating means to cut ofi said predetermined length.

7. The combination according to claim 6, said cutter blade actuating means comprising a constantly reciprocating arm having a portion thereon which nonnally is clear of said blade but which engages the blade when the position of said arm is shifted, a cam for shifting the position of said arm, rotating driving means for said advancing fingers, and preselectable ratio gears connecting said rotary driving means with said cam. I

8. The combination according to claim 7, further provided with an advancing gear mounted above the exit end of said mandrel and meshing with the loops of said binder to discharge the binder.

9. In a machine for forming a zigzag wire binder of the type having band portions of predetermined lengths at opposite sides thereof connected by transverse portions, means for bending a straight wire into a series of lengths each of which is twice the length of one of said transverse portions and said lengths are connected by one of said band portions, and means for bending each of said lengths in half so that the two halves are connected by said other band portion.

10. The combination according to claim 9, said first-mentioned means comprising a block having a threaded aperture, and a disk rotating in said aperture and having a pair of spaced radial projections on one side thereof the outer ends of which are adjacent to said aperture, whereby a wire secured to one of said projections will be folded into lengths and threaded along said aperture, exiting at one end thereof.

11. The combination according to claim 9, further provided with a pair of guides receiving said binder therebetween, a mandrel disposed in alignment with said guides, top and side dies adjacent said mandrel, and means for reciprocating said dies in synchronism so that said top die bends the successive wire loops to conform to the side portions of said mandrel.

12. The combination according to claim 11, further provided with cutting means at the exit end of said mandrel, and normally inactive means for actuating said cutting means, said normally inactive means being responsive to the emergence of a predetermined length of curved zigzag wire to actuate said cutting means to cut off said predetermined length.

t II i i 

1. In a machine for forming a zigzag wire binder, a block having a threaded aperture, a disk rotating in said aperture and having a pair of spaced radial projections on one side thereof the outer ends of which are adjacent said threaded aperture, whereby a wire secured to one of saiD projections will be folded into lengths and threaded along said aperture, exiting at one end thereof, and an intermittently rotating wheel having spaced slotted teeth above the center of said rotating disk and engaging the central portion of each length as one end of said length exits from said threaded aperture, whereby the length will be doubled to form a zigzag wire.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, the outer ends of said projections forming relatively wide bands in said zigzag wire, said toothed wheel forming relatively narrow bands in said wire.
 3. The combination according to claim 2, further provided with a pair of guides receiving said zigzag wire, and forward and rear pairs of reciprocating fingers mounted adjacent said guides and pushing said zigzag wire with a predetermined spacing.
 4. The combination according to claim 3, further provided with means for simultaneously lifting and retracting said reciprocating fingers and then dropping said fingers into engagement with said wire as they are advanced.
 5. The combination according to claim 4, further provided with a mandrel having a curved cross section with a recessed center, said mandrel being disposed in alignment with said guides, a top die having a shape complementary to said mandrel, a pair of side dies, and means for reciprocating said dies in synchronism so that said upper die bends the successive wire loops partially around said mandrel and said side dies then engage the loops to conform to the side portions of said mandrel.
 6. The combination according to claim 5, further provided with a cutting blade at the exit end of said mandrel, normally inactive reciprocating means for actuating said cutting blade, and means responsive to the emergence of a predetermined length of curved zigzag wire to activate said cutter blade actuating means to cut off said predetermined length.
 7. The combination according to claim 6, said cutter blade actuating means comprising a constantly reciprocating arm having a portion thereon which normally is clear of said blade but which engages the blade when the position of said arm is shifted, a cam for shifting the position of said arm, rotating driving means for said advancing fingers, and preselectable ratio gears connecting said rotary driving means with said cam.
 8. The combination according to claim 7, further provided with an advancing gear mounted above the exit end of said mandrel and meshing with the loops of said binder to discharge the binder.
 9. In a machine for forming a zigzag wire binder of the type having band portions of predetermined lengths at opposite sides thereof connected by transverse portions, means for bending a straight wire into a series of lengths each of which is twice the length of one of said transverse portions and said lengths are connected by one of said band portions, and means for bending each of said lengths in half so that the two halves are connected by said other band portion.
 10. The combination according to claim 9, said first-mentioned means comprising a block having a threaded aperture, and a disk rotating in said aperture and having a pair of spaced radial projections on one side thereof the outer ends of which are adjacent to said aperture, whereby a wire secured to one of said projections will be folded into lengths and threaded along said aperture, exiting at one end thereof.
 11. The combination according to claim 9, further provided with a pair of guides receiving said binder therebetween, a mandrel disposed in alignment with said guides, top and side dies adjacent said mandrel, and means for reciprocating said dies in synchronism so that said top die bends the successive wire loops to conform to the side portions of said mandrel.
 12. The combination according to claim 11, further provided with cutting means at the exit end of said mandrel, and normally inactive means for actuating said cutting means, said normally inactive means being responsive to the emergence of a predetermined length of curved zigzag wire to actuate said cutting means to cut off said predetermined length. 